The former child star and fifth-generation thespian has always been too much of a rebel for that, more of a jump-in-the-fray-and-throw-some-elbows type of girl. The natural outflow of that is her directorial debut, "Whip It!, " a feel-good dramatic comedy set in the full-contact world of roller derby and boasting a very Drew blend of good humor and punky femininity.

The movie is based on the novel by Shauna Cross, and it's fairly formulaic stuff, from the predictable plot to mostly plain-Jane shot set-ups. In the hands of Barrymore and company, however, it's better than it should be because the director and her cast maximize the story's built-in edginess while maintaining a satisfying degree of heart.

The result is a film that is equal parts fluff and tough.

"Whip It!" stars Ellen Page as a pageant kid from tiny Bodeen, Texas, who trades her beauty-queen pursuits for the world of roller derby, that oddly fascinating, gleefully nonmainstream mashup of pro wrestling, hockey and NASCAR.

Fox SearchlightEllen Page is on a roll in the roller-deby-set dramatic comedy 'Whip It!'WHIP IT2.5 stars, out of 4

Snapshot: A dramatic comedy about a young misfit who trades the beauty pageant circuit for the roller derby track, against her mother's wishes.

The role gives Page a chance to show her range, moving past the acid-tongued extroverts she played so effectively in "Juno" and "Smart People." Her "Whip It!" character is still a rebel with an indie heart and an unusual name (Bliss, this time), but she's more of a soft-spoken wilting flower than those previous characters.

At least, she is until she discovers roller derby and its colorful collection of unapologetically strong, fun-loving women with such stage names as Iron Maven (Juliette Lewis), Bloody Holly (Zoe Bell) and Smashley Simpson (Barrymore).

"I just wanted to tell you guys, you're my new heroes, " Bliss tells Kristen Wiig's character, Maggie Mayhem, after attending her first live match.

"Well, put some skates on, " Maggie replies. "Be your own hero."

That's exactly what she does, of course -- and for the first time in her life, she feels like she truly belongs.

Trouble is, not only does Bliss have to lie about her age to join the team, but she has to hide her new hell-on-wheels pursuits from her former-beauty-queen mother (Marcia Gay Harden), who Bliss knows would be horrified by it all. Cue the inevitable third-act discovery, high-volume confrontation and tearful reconciliation.

Buoyed by a fun spirit, a cool soundtrack and a strong supporting cast that includes Alia Shawkat ("Arrested Development"), Andrew Wilson (big brother to Luke and Owen) and a scene-stealing Jimmy Fallon ("Saturday Night Live"), those storytelling cliches can easily be forgiven.